Surgical-needle holder



(No Model.)

-L. R. BROWN. SURGICAL NEEDLE HOLDER.

No. 532,306.' Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

INVENTOR ZZQVA TTOHNE rs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS R. BROWN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

SURGICAL NEEDLE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IlPatent No. 532,306, dated January 8,1 895.

Application filed September 29, 1894:. Serial No. 524,456. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS R. BROWN, a citizen ot' the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, Union county, New Jersey, have invented a Surgical-Needle Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to surgical needleholders and has for its object to construct a simple and efficient needle-holder, the difierent parts of which can be readily taken apart and easily cleansed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved needle holder. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, and Fig. 3 represents the parts separated from each other.

The handle A may be formed at its upper end as a tube or fork, but the form represented by the drawings is preferable, being more easily cleansed. This upper part is provided with projections a a and a a, to form open but undercut guides for the rod B in its up-and-down movements.

The rod Bis provided with an enlarged top 6, which on beingbrought down onto the top of the handle, clamps the needle in place. See Fig. 1. Grooves are made in the top of the handle or on the under side of the head I) of the rod B to receive the shanks of the needles. In the drawings I have shown two such grooves, in the top of the handle, of differen t sizes for diiferent sized needles.

By my improvements the means for clamp ing and unclamping the needle are very simple and are adapted to be quickly operated. These means consistof acam acting on the lower end of the rod B, which cam is controlled by the thumb and fore-finger of the operator.

While I do not limit myself to any particular form of cam, I have shown in the draw ings a milled nut 0 provided with a cam groove 0 in which cam groove works a projection b on the rod B. A thumb screw D connects the nut O to the handle A, and at the same time forms the axis of the nut 0. By simply unscrewing this screw D all the parts of the instrument readily fall apart.

To use the instrument the operator grasps the handle in such a way that his thumb and fore-finger may be used to press against the milled edge of the nut C, and turn it a part of a revolution on the smooth part d of the screw D. As the nut is turned the rod B is moved longitudinally in or out in accordance with the position of the cam groove, the part of the groove farthest from the center of the nut being uppermost and holding theprojection b when the rod is in its highest position, Fig. 2, and the part of the groove nearest the center being uppermost and holding the projection 19' when the rod is in its lowest position.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the instrument consists of four parts only, which can be readily taken apart and easily cleansed. The cleaning is further facilitated by having the guiding grooves open.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a surgical needle-holder, the combination of a clamp for the needle, with a rotary nut having a cam to control the clamp, the said nut within the control of the thumb and fore-finger of the hand grasping the needle holder.

-2. A surgical needle-holder comprising a handle having guides at its upper part, a rod working in the said guides and provided with an enlarged top to form with the top of the handle a clamp for the needle, the said rod having a projection, incombination with a nut having a cam-groove in which the said projection works and a thumb-screw to connect the parts together and form the axis for the nut, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof Lhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS R. BROWN.

Witnesses:

W. H. LUSTER, J r., ALEXANDER DIoK. 

